Artists of the Decade

sufjan stevens
decemberists
modest mouse

For me it has been Sufjan Stevens. I have been buying/listening to music obsessively since I was 11 years old, I am 48 now. It would be extremely difficult to find any artist that had released 3 consecutive records with the beauty and creativity of Stevens, "Michigan", "Seven Swans" and "Illinios". He has been compared to Dylan and Zappa in the same article, a hard feat! His vision, depth and soul has moved me like few artists. Introspective, spiritual, passionate, brave, avant guard....brilliant. Illinios may sound like a 10th grade marching band at first listen but once you "get it" there have been few records with the soul that lives in those songs. Please give us a decade more Sufjan!

Nice nod to Chris Whitley. I remember when he was Daniel Lanios's roadie and put together his first album. He was amazing live and one of the few guitar players that really channeled Jimmy when he rocked. Also the loudest show I have ever been too and that includes all my metal days! A very sad story for a talented dude.

Chashmal......
Could you please explain to me what makes listening to a cutting edge music genre that is full of wit, talent, superb production skills along with all the other elements (turntablism, breakdancing etc), not to mention the incredible accompanying music vids more repulsive than tuning into The Soprano's, a gangster movie or even an old Clint Eastwood flick? Crime tends to happen and gets documented (and glorified) whether in film, music or any other art form. It seems to me that some people must have John Tesh on constant rotation at home, when they aren't watching their archived collection of The Waltons, that is.

The decade isn't over yet, is it?

Bongofury

"Name a better band that so effortlessly put out work as diverse as Kid A and In Rainbows."

Nickel Creek quickly comes to mind for this decade - or their mandolinist Chris Thile's solo work, for that matter.

Dusty Springfield

definitly not a waist of music this decade. i am 53 soon to turn 54. i was like many my age group stuck in the 60's and 70's. infact i remember people saying that the 70's are a waist of music. wrong there as well. there are a lot of new band that are really great. they may not be the beatles or springsteen or the stones or bob dylan, but great all the same. there are to many to name, all though i started a thread in the analog section "New favorite vinyl album" where many have been listed. reissuse are rarely as good as original and that goes for new music as well. you need to widen your horizons and list more then once. Springsteens early stuff(first 4 or 5 albums) no qusetion are his greatest or maybe even the greatest of all time. having said that the "the rising" and "magic" are great albums. "working on a dream" has it's moments. mix that in with all that he has done and been in volved in this last decade and there is just no doubt, ARTIST OF THE DECADE!

Chas: "good" "melodic" and "Motown vocals" pretty much somes up Beyonce. That is why I assumed you had an epic collection. Bongoman

Emorris...thanks for setting us all straight.

webmaster please delete the last post.I mistakenly typed on the wrong string.

Artist of the decade.?????

I love Bruce, but not his later stuff.
I am really having a hard time with this one.No one is outstanding.there will never be another Beatles.

I would say that the winner is:

the producers of idiot shows like "American Idol".
and the promoters of kiddy sex idols like Brittany Spears
pedophilia rock dance crap.

btw why do we care what people look like if all we are doing is listening to their music? I don't watch MTV.

I have to say I don't see rap as music at all.Certainly nothing I am interested in.

I agree that it was a waste of a decade,musically. It is hard to understand that the decade of George II;one of the most devisive and destructive regimes, starting with the war(s) and ending with the biggest bank collapse and subsequent recession in history.
And no one wrote ANYTHING! Where was Neal Young?
I admit that there might have been some rap or hip hop that addressed these times,but to me that medium is unapproachable. Too old you might say, but I can say the same thing about most rock and roll because there is a lot of bad music in rock too.But at least it is music.
They say that art is a reflection of culture.If that is true of this generation,we have problems.
I don't see Rap as to the new century the way Rock was to the 50's or what it later evolved to in the 60's and 70's.
Yes they are both generational,but one is a message and the other is a message with art.Frequently bad art but art never the less. I could never hold Elvis or CSNY or Springsteen to the level of Mozart or Shostakovitch.

I have to give Sting credit for attempting his "Songs from the Labyrinth" John Dowland project.A current rock star singing and playing 16th century equivalent of rock music.
I am sure it didn't sell well.

there are many artists that I could name that were great,but they are obscure and not in the pop scene at all.

for me personally,,,Andreas Scholl(countertenor).
he has taken a little known art form to a place it has never known. His voice has so much power.This is unusual with countertenors.He is a Handel specialist having sung many of Handel's operas,not to mention his 10 Harmonia Mundi recordings.
too bad they are all on CD.

happy Christmas

e

First I have to say that vinyl is the only medium I will audition anything seriously with. CD sound floor is still too high and the sound is compressed.

For those who don't know about good analog,they are missing out.
Also, I rarely get to audition new gear in a parlor.I do go to many homes for listening sessions for fun and to help out.

that said,if I am going into a parlour I try to tailor the music with the idea of testing the component I am interested in,not the whole system. I try not to push the system into playing something that will sound good, but what will reveal possible problems and possible excitement.
I like to listen to choral music so that is what I use.
King's College, Elgar's "Coronation Ode." EMI
King's College, "Vaughn Williams/Howells" Argo
Corydon Singers,"Vaughn Williams/Howells" Hyperion
King's College, Palastrina, "Stabat Mater"

Some times these are quite tough to reproduce well,but are good tests. There are fairly sever high transients and very low and powerful organ pedal notes,and loads of texture and mid range sound stage.
Then I try some pop LPs for electronic speed and dynamics.
lately I have been listening to Chris Isaak's "Heart Shaped World",and Christy Moore's "Voyage". These are both great albums for auditioning.(and just for fun)
Also,jazz: Sphere's "Flight Path" and "Live"
these LPs have the lowest sound floor of almost ANY record I own. amazing music too.

I have heard many "high end" CD players and Dacs and they never get it all.There is always something missing. Once you have heard what a great vinyl rig can do,you are done.

btw I don't buy reissues. I am old enough to own many LPs from the golden age of vinyl, and Ebay and my local used record store provide ample opportunity to get more for dirt cheap. Also let me add,that reissues never sound as good as good originals.I own several MoFi half speeds and most of them suck.At best they equal the original.I have also heard some of the expensive 180-200grm reissues and they were so compressed and lifeless I would be embarrassed to play them.

happy Christmas

e

Bongofury: you didn't really read anything I wrote, did you?

The Vinyl revolution? falure? WOW! it always amazes me that those who do not get it knock it! Vinyl, I predict, as i lisien to OWL CITY's "ocean eyes" a new pressing on VINYL, VINYL will be here long after we are dead. The only thing you got right with out question, Springsteen is the music artist of the decade(3 out of the last 4 decades). 2 great albums(the rising and magic), non stop sold out tours in front of massive crowds, supper bowl, kennedy center honors, rock and roll hall of fame honors, political acomplishments(including but not limited to turning down Chris Christie), glastonbury headliner, springsteen syposium, the boss, the savior of rock and roll, finaly seen for what he truly is, the best there is and probably the best there will ever be.

A few eletronica that I have on vinyl that for a time was my every day play going back loads of years, so far back I can't think/remember what I have tucked away in storage,

*Tangerine Dream- Rubycon!
Tomita,
Edgar Froese/Schulze*
Jean Michele Jarre,
Vangelis,

Have checked out some of the recommendations, good stuff!

Synthfreek, you're on your game buddy. You and I have very similar tastes. The Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place is one heck of a selection. I'm also a fan of Boards of Canada! If you haven't checked out General Midi, I think you'd like them. Your list will make an excellent reference source.

Cheers,
DB

Love that music. Great list. Love Burial and the Boards of Canada. Also love this decades releases by Alias, Basement Jaxx, Clutchy Hopkins, Frou Frou, Groove Armada, Hercules and Love Affair,Jesse Rose, DJ Kevin McKay, Late Night Alummni, Nitin Sawhney, Peaches, Phoenix, Royksopp, Skyscraper Frontier, Thievery Corporation, and Zero 7.

I realize there's a limited audience for electronic music on this forum but I thought I'd share my Top 50 Electronic Music in addition to my Top 50 Rock:

1-Gas-Pop
2-Secede-Tryshasla
3-Yagya-Will I Dream During The Process?
4-Murcof-Cosmos
5-Susumu Yokota-Sakura
6-Ulrich Schnauss-A Strangely Isolated Place
7-Lustmord-Metavoid
8-Distance-My Demons
9-Burial-Untrue
10-Julien Neto-Le Fumeur De Ciel
11-Shpongle-Nothing Lasts...But Nothing Is Lost
12-Kettel-My Dogan
13-Biosphere-Shenzhou
14-Michael Stearns-The Storm
15-Scion-Arrange And Process Basic Channel Tracks
16-Boards Of Canada-Geogaddi
17-Tetsu Inoue-Inland
18-Pete Namlook & Klaus Schulze-The Dark Side Of The Moog X
19-Tim Hecker-An Imaginary Country
20-Rhythm & Sound-The Versions
21-Deepchord-Echospace: The Coldest Season
22-Scuba-A Mutual Antipathy
23-Vir Unis-Aeonian Glow
24-Soundtrack-Solaris
25-The Field-From Here We Go Sublime
26-Skull Disco-Sound Punishments
27-Luke Vibert & BJ Cole-Stop The Panic
28-Bola-Gnayse
29-Marsen Jules-Herbstlaub
30-Lindstrom-Where You Go I Go Too
31-Deaf Center-Pale Ravine
32-Rod Modell-Incense & Blacklight
33-The Orb-Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt
34-Brock Van Wey-White Clouds Drift On And On
35-Coil-Time Machines
36-Clubroot-Clubroot
37-Moritz Von Oswald-Trio-Vertical Ascent
38-Steve Roach-Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces
39-Goldmund-Corduroy Road
40-Jon Hopkins-Insides
41-Sandoz-Afrocentric
42-Luke Hess-Light In The Dark
43-Detroit Escalator Company-Black Buildings
44-Fennesz-Black Sea
45-Casino Versus Japan-Go Hawaii
46-Ryan Teague-Coins & Crosses
47-Harmonic 33-Music For Television, Film & Radio Vol. 1
48-Deadbeat-Something Borrowed, Something Blue
49-Max Richter-The Blue Notebooks
50-Scorn-Stealth

Anyone who does not like Britney Spears, has no taste in music, or they do, BAD!

Great topic!

My artist of the decade would go to Zero 7. No other band has spawned more successful solo careers and had such an impact on Lounge, or Downbeat music. Incredible.

Beck has continued to pour out a slew of great records and is as relevant today as he was in the late 90's.

Robert Pollard has once again been prolific this decade, whether it's writing and performing with Guided By Voices, or working as a solo artist. I love his work, a true Indie God.

Maynard James Keenan has been instrumental in making some truly amazing hard rock music this decade with his various bands including Tool, Perfect Circle and Puscifer.

Breakthrough Music Device of the Decade: The winner goes to iPod. No other device has had more of a dramatic impact over the last 20 years. Compressed music has been taken to a whole new level with the iPod. I have around 7,000 songs on mine.

Best Music Delivery Platform of the Decade: The winner goes to Internet radio and specifically Pandora.com. Absolutely phenonimal personalized Internet Radio platform.

Another consideration for The Wiggles as artist of the decade:

They do not sing or rap about anything mean or nasty like a lot of those other well respected acts mentioned.

"Fruit Salad....yummy, yummy"!

Hits:
Steely Dan - Two Against Nature
Great release to kick off the decade for me, although equally as good was getting hold of the Sony Studio bootlegs - very tight live sets. Fagen's Morph the Cat, entertaining as well.

Allman Brothers - Hittin' The Note
Was thrilled with this release! Excellent tour - totally blown away with Derek Trucks. Started following him more after seeing him live - perhaps my artist of the decade.

Lucinda Williams - West
Wasn't really a fan until I heard this release. Wow.

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
This band! A rare nod to the Grammy judges for giving this band "Best Hard Rock Performance" this year.

Misses (quite literally):
Pretty much a decade devoid of Floyd. David Gilmore made an attempt at an original release that I mostly slept through. Roger Waters - Ça Ira (French for "That'll do", translated as There is Hope)???? Wake me from this coma.

RIP
Christopher Becker Whitley (August 31, 1960 – November 20, 2005)
An acquired taste for some, however I enjoyed this artist immensely - he will be sorely missed.

Chashmal: Based on your three criteria, you must have an epic Beyonce collection.

Synthfreek

Cool list. I missed a couple of those. Thanks for the great post. I like many of your artists. Some of my faves not included in your list:

Dave Mathews Band: Big Whiskey and the GrooGux King
El Guincho: Alegranza
Calexico: Feist of Wire
Maria Taylor: LadyLuck
Neko Case: Middle Cyclone
The Vines: Melodia
Arctic Monkeys: Who the fuck are the Arctic Monkeys
Coldplay: LeftRightLeft
Hot Chip: The Warning
Lily Allen: Smile
M.I.A.: Kala
The xx: XX
Tokyo Police Club: A Lesson in Crime
Ry Cooder: Chavez Ravine
Burial: Untrue
The Throwdowns: Don't slow down
Missy Elliott: Under Construction
Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest
Keren Ann: Keren Ann
Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
Cold War Kids: Robbers and Cowards
Alicia Keys: The Diary
Silversun Pickups: Carnavas

">>"The only objective measure is record sales"<<"

Also longevity, as I pointed out.

We won't know how current artists that are popular today stack up against the greats for sure until somewhere way down the road.

PErsonally, I would not bet on any of those making it but that is just my subjective opinion. Record sales today say those acts have something going for them, even if not necessarily my cup of tea.

Then again, I saw The Wiggles live once with my family when the kids were younger and we all thought they were quite good, so what do I know? Maybe The Wiggles should be artist of the decade?

Here's my list of non-electronic albums for me for the decade. I didn't let any one artist have more than one entry.

1-The Decemberists-Picaresque
2-Built To Spill-Ancient Melodies Of The Future
3-Phosphorescent-Aw Come Aw Wry
4-Rilo Kiley-The Execution Of All Things
5-M. Ward-Post-War
6-The Arcade Fire-Funeral
7-Panda Bear-Person Pitch
8-Cat Power-You Are Free
9-Neko Case-Blacklisted
10-The Avalanches-Since I Left You
11-Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago
12-Iron & Wine-Our Endless Numbered Days
13-Japancakes-The Sleepy Strange
14-Thao With The Get Down Stay Down-We Brave Bee Stings And All
15-Sleater-Kinney-All Hands On The Bad One
16-J Dilla-Donuts
17-Sufjan Stevens-Illinois
18-Band Of Horses-Everything All The Time
19-Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Fever To Tell
20-Stars Of The Lid-And Their Refinement Of The Decline
21-Santogold-Santogold
22-The Microphones-The Glow Pt. 2
23-Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban-Mambo Sinuendo
24-The Flaming Lips-Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1
25-Blonde Redhead-23
26-Tord Gustavsen Trio-Being There
27-Steven Wilson-Insurgentes
28-Bill Frisell-Good Dog, Happy Man
29-Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes
30-My Morning Jacket-Z
31-Steve Tibbetts-A Man About A Horse
32-Bohren & Der Club Of Gore-Dolores
33-The White Stripes-White Blood Cells
34-The Beatles-Love
35-Sunn O)))-Black One
36-The New Pornographers-Electric Version
37-A.C. Newman-Get Guilty
38-Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
39-Portishead-Third
40-Rainer Maria-A Better Version Of Me
41-Black Mountain-In The Future
42-The Gutter Twins-Saturnalia
43-Brian Wilson-Smile
44-Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter-Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul
45-The Black Keys-Chulahoma
46-Pelican-What We All Come To Need
47-Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions-Bavarian Fruit Bread
48-Earth-Hex: Or Printing In The Infernal Method
49-Mogwai-Happy Songs For Happy People
50-Nik Bartsch's Ronin-Holon

"'Good' is based on opinion, but to a point there is a greater cultural standard."

One would hope so.

I'm just saying that high record sales is an objective indicator that a lot of people like something. High international record sales is an indicator that different cultures in different countries like something.

When a lot of people like something, there is usually something good about it, like talent, sex appeal or a catchy tune, to account for that. Of course some good marketing doesn't hurt either. But marketing alone cannot sustain an act with no talent, at least not for long, IMHO.

That doesn't mean that everything good is popular . There are many great recordings with poor sales, but at that point it is more of a subjective thing that cannot be measured.

I suppose things that remain somewhat popular over extended periods of time (after the marketing and hype is gone) and are not forgotten can be deemed objectively good due to longetivity, which is the ultimate measure.

BAch, Beethoven, and other classical composers are good examples. OTher more modern artists, like Ellington, Armstrong, Elvis, the Beatles and others that are no longer around but still have a following are other likely candidates (though The BEatles admittedly still have a substantial marketing machine in play).

In the end though, the only goodness that matters to each of us in the eye of the beholder/listener, I suppose.

>>"The only objective measure is record sales"<<

Really?

Boyz 2 Men
N'Synch
Madonna
Sheryl Crow
Michael Bolton
Kenny G
Britney Spears
Jonas Brothers
Hannah Montana
Nickelback
Any rap "artist" (performer is a better word; artist connotes some semblance of talent)

Wanna rethink that statement?

'Good' is based on opinion, but to a point there is a greater cultural standard. Who determines that? Not the consumer, IMO. Thus:

"The only objective measure is record sales"

I am surprised Mapman, I usually end up agreeing with you. I think you might have your scenario reversed. Popularity with the masses seems to generally mean profound mediocrity, with certain rare exceptions. Doesn't the lowest common denominator usually win out in popular circles? Is this even in dispute anymore?

My comments about rap have nothing to do with either morality or a past vs present argument. I am just sick of that monotonous beat with an ignoran perspective on life droning on top of it. It seems unimaginative in the extreme.

"I like degenerate stuff! BUT IT HAS TO BE GOOD. "

Good is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. The only objective measure is record sales. If a lot of people buy it, there is probably something good about it I have found.

"Those 'performers' don't reject melody, they are incapable of it. "

What % of rap is this true about compared to other forms of pop music I wonder?

"Let's see one of them try a Motown style vocal harmony."

That's old hat. Others have been there and done that. These guys/girls do something different for a different target audience.

Bongoman, you weren't reading me right. I like degenerate stuff! BUT IT HAS TO BE GOOD. I have never heard rap that wasn't simpleminded and ignorant. To me it sounds like the backwash of the tech age. Those 'performers' don't reject melody, they are incapable of it. Let's see one of them try a Motown style vocal harmony.

Hey wait, did not the Velvets promote drugs (I am waiting for my man) and S&M/bondage (Venus in Furs)?

There is a lot of relevant "rap". I love the work by Common, the Roots, a Tribe called Quest, De La Soul, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, etc....All real positive and uplifting.

There is the dark side, and there is the dark side. Artistic merit ultimately doesn't distinguish light or dark; it just has to be good. I like my dark side same as the next man, but it has to transcend the common denominator of the ordinary...that's what makes it art. You can't get any darker than Mimoroglu, Balcom, the Velvet Underground, or Luigi Nono, and I love that!

I wouldn't listen to it intently late at night for relaxation in place of Beethoven, Mahler, Ellington, or even The Beatles, but "Right Round" by Flo Rida (about a chick on a pole in a strip club I believe) is a great tune to press a bar or squeeze out some abdominal crunches to. Very catchy tune! Good R&R and danceable pop works also, but the others do not.

Different forms of music invoke different emotions serve different purposes. I do not mind music that reflects the dark side of society at any particular time, however I do object when it is misrepresented and fed to kids and others by the record companies as something more innocent than it in fact is. Record companies have been doing that with various genres since R&R first broke back in the 50's and became popular.

It is a tough issue for me to discuss rationally because rap/hip-hop is really the only music that I actually 'hate'. I ordinarily would not want to hate any music at all, but...I really do hate it. Absolutely nothing makes me cringe like that thumpity-thump rhythm with monotone a-melodic gutter slang on top. I hear it passing by out of car windows and it makes me long for the days when the worst thing you would hear might be 'Freddy and the Dreamers'.
Hey, he is kind of funny....

Count me in as a defender of rap music.
Lots of it is very good, and nearly all is cleverly done.
Should I dispel The Rolling Stones as sh1t just because
I do not particularly care for most of their music?
Of course not.

Chasmal, I'm not a "defender" of rap, I dislike the majority of it. But you're painting the genre with too broad a brush. Not every hip-hop or rap artist postures like a thug or a sexual miscreant. I've worked with a hip-hop artist who has a degree in Fine Art from a great college, reads like a philosophy major, and abhors the elements of popular culture you decry as much as you do. Missy Elliott works pretty regularly with several charities, she really doesn't fit my definition of a debaser of culture. It's fine to take issue with an individual artist's work, but damning a whole genre because of the worst attributes of some artists is resorting to stereotypes. In any event, we risk hijacking the thread. Maybe a new thread on this subject?

Chas,

'50s/'60s rock 'n' roll was about sex - not an innocent good time by the standards of the day. Race music was said to cater to the "primitive" instincts of the Negroes. It's easy to dismiss the idea today, but "Satisfaction" drove some parents to hide the women and children. Over time, people like David Bowie, Madonna, and even Adam Lambert have continued to offend people with their attitudes toward sex (and religion).

I'm not defending rap overall - your comments on the associated culture of violence are IMHO impossible to refute. I also find the incessant posturing tedious in the extreme. OTOH, there is some worthwhile stuff - a fair bit of Grandmaster Flash's music works for me and the occasional "Fear of A Black Planet" or "Handlebars" (by Flobots) strikes me as serious political commentary. For the most part, though, I can live without it.

Marty

BTW - The life story of Jerry Lee Lewis might make a few rap stars blush.

Matchstikman,
Yes, I refer to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Of all the new release albums I bought this decade, it's the one I would keep if I could only have one.
As you don't get Wilco, so I don't get Radiohead. No one is wrong or right. I'm just glad a few records sunk in really deep for me this decade. It sure wasn't the 60's. And there are some who would say "Thank goodness for that!".
It's mysterious, and that's a part of why we love music.
Remember Felix Mendelssohn's dad ragging on him about "You and your endless Beethoven!"?
The more things change...

Cheers.

Tom

Answer: maybe on his day off?

Mapman: 50's R&R advocated a rather bland good time attitude, not criminality. When did Carl Perkins ever slap around hoes with the butt of his mac-10 before he sodomized them?

"How low do we have to get as a culture before you guys admit that there has been serious deterioration?"

I guess we're going to find out!

BTW I am ambvilant to most rap/hip hop but I do believe it has a rightful place in modern culture. It is a modern day equivalent of what rock and roll was back in the 50's....we've just come a long way since back then, for better or for worse. Personally, I blame Howard Stern!

I agree that there is a lot wrong but music is typically just a response to the times, not a cause of it.

Both good rap and classic rock and roll makes for good workout music. I put together a workout CD including music from Chuck Berry, The BEAtles, Dick Dale, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Flo Rida. It is awesome!

To all you defenders of 'rap': How low do we have to get as a culture before you guys admit that there has been serious deterioration? Outright glorification of criminality is not enough for you? It is not like rock-n-roll in the 50's at all. Elvis did not advocate gratuitous violence. Neither is it generational. I am sure if you played rap (and explained it) to a group of ancient greeks they would agree something is wrong here.

I agree with you Marty, the Eels (Mark Everett) has released some of my favorite albums of the last decade. Hombre Loco was a pretty big disappointment to me though, a real loss of artistic momentum.

One more candidate: Eels

Started in 200 with "Daisies of the Galaxy" IMHO a flat out great record.

The next CD, "Shootenany" was terrific and was followed by "Souljacker" which was interesting but not particularly special.

The double CD "Blinking Lights" was (along with "Daisies") IMHO on the short list for Best of the Decade.

The most recent "Hombre Lobo" didn't do much for me.

Overall, this band (basically Mark Everett) probably produced more music in the last ten years that I found memorable than any other.

Didn't come to mind at first because the latest release was the weakest.

Marty

Tfkaudio, are you referring Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco? I spent months trying to like it and it never sunk in. Just now I put it on and all the songs sound familiar, as you might guess, but they still miss. I still don't get them.

'Micachu and the Shapes', a band that I think will be up there
in the artists' of the decade, a very exciting new group who have been given their own genre called 'junk shop punk'. Maybe a bit to radical for some (or a lot).I think they are excellent and a musical breath of fresh air.

Every decade should produce music that pisses off the older generation. That is why punk and hip-hop will never die.
And it will morph into something new.

I agree with Jack White. What a talented player and producer. One of a kind.

I think the next decade will define the Kings of Leon. Everything clicked on the last album--let's see if they can take it up a notch.

The Mars Volta

Chas

Regarding that "glorification of the most base animal aspects" thing. That was once the precise argument against rock 'n roll music. I admit that I also find rap offputting - but maybe that's just me (and maybe you) getting older.

Marty

Chashmal - with rare exception...you GO dude!